Neurogenic mechanisms in bladder and bowel ageing

The prevalence of both urinary and faecal incontinence, and also chronic constipation, increases with ageing and these conditions have a major impact on the quality of life of the elderly. Management of bladder and bowel dysfunction in the elderly is currently far from ideal and also carries a significant financial burden. Understanding how these changes occur is thus a major priority in biogerontology. The functions of the bladder and terminal bowel are regulated by complex neuronal networks. In particular neurons of the spinal cord and peripheral ganglia play a key role in regulating micturition and defaecation reflexes as well as promoting continence. In this review we discuss the evidence for ageing-induced neuronal dysfunction that might predispose to neurogenic forms of incontinence in the elderly

Theory of Constraints Thinking Processes on Operational Lean Programs Management Improvement: An Energy Producer Company Case

Part 4: Optimization SystemsInternational audienceSeveral theories and associated models are arising in the field of systems’ continuous improvement, focused on structured solutions to face the internal or external factors that affect them. Within these theories stands out Theory of Constraints (TOC), proposed to manage the most relevant constraints that exist within an organization. In this case study, the TOC Thinking Processes approach will be applied to the Management of Operational Lean Programs, on a pilot investigation at the organization were the Case Study took place. This application aims to analyze their Lean Program’s Management in order to find the constraint that inhibits the system to reach its best level of performance, in order to support the development of robust improvement solutions that can solve the identified restrictions and sustain the proposed changes over time reaching a process of ongoing improvement